Anomalous meridional thermospheric neutral winds in the AE‐E NATE data: Effects of the equatorial nighttime pressure bulge

Abstract

The work described here makes it possible to identify anomalous wind behavior such as the nighttime meridional wind abatements that occur at F‐region heights. A new analysis technique uses a simple empirical wind model to simulate measurements of “normal” winds (as measured by the Neutral Atmosphere and Temperature Experiment (NATE) that flew on the Atmosphere Explorer‐E (AE‐E)) to highlight anomalous wind measurements made by the satellite while in circular orbits at 270–290 km altitude. Our approach is based on the recognition that the “in orbit” wind variation must show the combined effects of the diurnal wind variation as seen from the ground with the latitude variation of the satellite orbit. For the data period 77250–78035 examined thus far, the wind abatement always occurred with a corresponding pressure or temperature maximum, and was detected on 12 out of the 36 nights with data. This study has revealed that the wind abatements occur only during or shortly after increases in solar EUV flux, as indicated by daily radio flux measurements. In the past, nighttime wind reversals at mid‐latitudes have been associated with increased geomagnetic activity. This study indicates that intensified solar EUV heating may be responsible for anomalous thermospheric nighttime winds at mid‐latitudes.